Fredda è la notte

Nothing truly special or unusual: Just a really good crime drama that's a little too well-acted and realistic to be labeled a "thriller." COLD COMES the NIGHT is grimly riveting and constantly leaves you wondering what will happen next. Some layers, twists, and reversals, but it's still very easy to follow and, therefore, may be a little too episodic and simple for some tastes.

CCN has a minimalistic low-budget appeal to it. We don't know a whole lot about the various players in the smaller town Mid-Atlantic setting. Nevertheless, it shows us all we really need to know. Violent, disturbing, but without cheap schlocky gore. I kept thinking, "This is how real murders must look and, especially, sound." Alice Eve gives a plain yet memorable performance as Chloe, a tough but compassionate single mother who manages the sleazy motel where all the trouble starts. The other actors do likewise in their roles. The script and cinematography are similarly real. Nice ending. Good, fitting soundtrack too. Though it doesn't try for anything big, COLD COMES the NIGHT accomplishes all it sets out to do and is a very watchable little film.

Jees, what a let-down. After 'Breaking Bad' no one could deny that Bryan Cranston is a formidable actor, capable of amazing drama. And he signed on for this. Don't get me wrong – it's not bad-bad. It's just nowhere near what he should be starring in. He plays a half-blind Russian thief (with a slightly dodgy accent sometimes) who takes a single mother hostage in order to help him retrieve his loot.

That's about it. Alice Eve plays his hostage and she does it as well as the story will allow. The simple thing about this film is that it's just so run-of-the-mill it's barely worth talking about.

You won't hate it, but you won't remember it in a week's time either.

Bryan (and Alice), you're both capable of bigger and better things.

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Cold Comes The Night is a dark thriller about a woman Chloe(Alice Eve) who lives and runs a rundown motel. To make ends meet and support her 10 year old daughter she is in business with Billy(Logan Marshall Green),a corrupt cop that deals smack and pimps hookers out of the motel. Billy(the least sympathetic character in this piece) takes advantage of Chloe's situation and at times is psychotic and brutal towards her. Bryan Cranston is a Russian mobster who spends the night at the motel. He loses his driver and the jeep that has a package he is obligated to deliver. Topo(Bryan Cranston) takes Chloe and her daughter Sophia hostage and sets out to retrieve his package at any cost. Chloe is the most sympathetic character in this film (with exception to her daughter obviously) and is mostly a victim of circumstance. Make no mistake everyone in this movie is bad, including Chole. Performances are real strong across the board and elevate this material greatly. Bryan Cranston is exceptional in this and stands out as a nearly blind, ruthless career criminal. As a huge fan of Breaking Bad myself, he was the reason to check out this downtrodden drama and I am not disappointed. CCTN overall really came across with the strong performances from the cast and sold what would otherwise be an average thriller. I am glad I gave this a look and hope to see Bryan Cranston play more dark characters like Topo and Walter White in the future.

I assume I was drawn to 'Cold Comes the Night' for the same reason as many viewers: Bryan Cranston. I've worked my way through 'Breaking Bad' three times, and believe that even in a time of strong dramatic TV leads (e.g. Michael C. Hall, Jon Hamm, Charlie Hunnam), Cranston stood out as the greatest. I struggle to imagine even someone like Daniel Day-Lewis handling certain 'Breaking Bad' scenes as well as Cranston. I was therefore surprised to find that the strong performer in Tze Chun's 'Cold Comes the Night' is actually an actress I'd never heard of before: Alice Eve. I've long believed that a strong lead performance can elevate an otherwise bad film into mediocrity, and an otherwise mediocre film into a good one. Alice Eve shows the kind of protectiveness and desperation familiar to those who've seen Jennifer Lawrence in 'Winter's Bone', although she isn't as subtle as Lawrence. Although Eve's talents certainly make her scenes more enjoyable, I feel that the star attraction - Cranston - was woefully underused. His forced Russian accent stifles his ability to express himself, and his character's near-blindness could have been explored in far greater depth. These deficiencies prevent 'Cold Comes the Night' from rising above mediocrity. Tze Chun is a director I'm entirely (sans this film, of course) unfamiliar with. In bolder hands, 'Cold Comes the Night' could have been a very good crime drama. Unfortunately, the film doesn't escape the tropes of the genre, despite having sufficient scope and talent to do so.

Cold Comes the Night kept me tense and engaged all the way through. The characters were refreshingly multi-layered, the cinematography was fantastic, the soundtrack was well-matched (that song at the end was killer!), and Cranston, Eve, and Parker's performances were stellar, which is the result of excellent directing as well as acting.

I don't understand why certain viewers felt like the twists and turns were illogical--while there are a few extreme moments, I thought the characters' actions and reactions were consistent with what we knew about them. The less predictable behavior kept me interested in the two main characters, who had much more depth than the characters that usually star in this genre.

My only complaint is that I did not get to see this film on the big screen. I can't wait to see more of Chun's work!